Author
Topic: Feeding, Comb & Space Questions. (Read 1931 times)

Hi!So I got 1 package back in April and placed the girls and a feeder in their new TBH and they started drawing beautiful comb immediately. I've got a window on my TBH so I can check on them with minimal disturbances, keep count of comb and see if the feeder needs to be refilled. I like not having to open the hive every time I want a quick peek ;) They've gone through the two full feeder jars since I placed them in the hive and I'm wondering if I should continue to feed as I've read some think you should feed straight through the season, others say no.

My girls have been busy and I've added bars as needed to allow them ample space last check there were 13 fully drawn combs, I was gone for a week and checked via the window yesterday and it looks like they've started on the bars I added and are up to 16 now, should I continue to add bars for them which would mean eventually they will have the entire TBH (and at the rate they are going it will be before summers end!)

Can you give them 'too' much space? I mean is there any reason to not let them have the entire TBH?

As far as I can tell there isn't any reason not to let them have the whole thing but it might be a good idea to reduce their space as winter comes on so that they have a smaller space to heat and are in close proximity to stores. Some people run top bar hives without any follower boards at all and seem to have good luck.

Did you start yours at one end or the other or did you put them in the middle? I went back and forth and finally put the package right in the middle with a follower board on either side and have expanded out both directions from there.